Diaper

ABSTRACT

The diaper consists of two outer supporting layers and an intermediate layer of absorbent material which is thick at the front portion and relatively thin at the rear portion and there is a transverse barrier to the flow of liquid between said front and rear portions.

United States Patent 1111 3,603,314

[72] Inventor Sven ljlrikTorbjorn Aberg [56] ReferencesCited I Molnlycke. Sweden UNITED STATES PA 1 ENTS $51 31 E 3.211.147 10/1965 Phersonetal. 1. 128 284 3 Patented Sept'7 1971 3.131.693 5/1964 Grayetali 3. 128/284 [73] Assim Moh'mcke (nebula 3.07 849 2/1963 Morse l78/29O g g 3,063,452 11/1962 DelGuercio 128/284 2,118,169 5/1938 Crouse 128/287 2,062,978 12/1936 King 128/287 Primary Examiner-Charles F Rosenbaum AtlorneyPierce, Scheffler & Parker [54] DIAPER 3 clamsa Drawmg Flgs ABSTRACT: The diaper consists of two outer supporting [52] US. Cl 128/284 layers and an intermediate layer'of absorbent material which [51] A6lf 13/16 is thick at the front portion and relatively thin at the rear por- [50] Field of Search ..128/284287, tion and there is a transverse barrier to the flow of liquid 290 between said front and rear portions.

PATENTEU SEP 7 ml 3.603314 F/GJ DIAPER This invention relates to a diaper which is composed of two outer layers and one or more intermediate layers of a liquidabsorbing material. The diaper is adapted to be inserted in baby pants. One of the outer layers forms the front side of the diaper intended to face the skin of the baby and the other outer layer forms the rear side of the diaper. In order that the diaper shall fulfill its purpose in a satisfactory manner, it is necessary, amongst other things, that the diaper be retained in proper position in the baby pants so that the urine from the baby is received as far as possible by a diaper region of high absorption capacity. Other portions of the diaper may be of lower absorption capacity.

In its broadest aspect the invention is characterized in that a portion of the absorption material sandwiched between the outer layers forms an absorption cushion which is thicker than the remaining portion of the absorption layer and that in the border region between the thicker portion and the thinner portion there is provided a barrier which completely or partly prevents flow of liquid through said border region.

Additional characteristic features appear from the following description of an embodiment of the diaper according to the invention. The description refers to the annexed drawing in which FIG. I is a view of the front side of the diaper, FIG. 2 a longitudinal sectional view of the diaper, and FIG. 3 a crosssectional view along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

The diaper consists of two outer layers 1 and 2 and an intermediate absorption material 3. One outer layer 1 which forms the front side of the diaper and is intended to face the skin of the baby suitably consists of a nonwoven fibrous layer with the fibers oriented longitudinally of the diaper. The other outer layer 2 which forms the rear side of the diaper consists preferably of a layer of a material of high wet strength, such as craped paper of relatively high strength even in wet condition. This outer layer 2 which does not come into contact with the skin forms together with the outer layer 1 a resistant wrapper for the absorption material 3 which e.g. may consist of defibrated cellulose.

As will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the two outer layers 1 and 2 are pasted together along two transverse lines 4 and 5 by means of a water resistant agent. The rear line 5 is disposed slightly inside the rear end edge 6 of the diaper such that the free end portions of the layers 1 and 2 form a soft margin at this end of the diaper. Outside the fore line 4 the two outer layers 1 and 2 extend comparatively far from said line to the front end edge 7 of the diaper in the form of an extension 8 which provides a satisfactory hold for a mechanical fastening device on the baby pants.

From FIG. 3 it will be seen that the softer and less skin-irritating outer layer 1, Le. the layer on the front side, extends along well-rounded portions along the lateral edges of the absorption material 3 and overlaps the lateral edges of the rear layer 2. At their overlapping marginal portions the layers 1 and 2 are pasted together by means of a water resistant adhesive. Adjacent these marginal portions the diaper is compressed along two longitudinal lines 9 and 10. Consequently, the absorption material is enclosed between the lines, 4, 5, 9 and 10. Preferably the absorption material is bonded to the layer 2 on the rear side. Therefrom it follows that the various layers are fixed to each other resulting in that the diaper is resistant to mechanical treatment. In order further to increase the strength of the diaper, the layer 2 on the rear side may advantageously consist of a hydrophobic paper which is impervious to liquid and retains its dry strength even if it comes into contact with wetted absorption material.

As will be seen from FIG. 2 the absorption material is not uniformly distributed, but forms a relatively thick portion 12 in the region where the diaper normally receives the greatest amount of liquid. This thick portion 12 forms an absorption cushion which is defined by the lines 4, 9, I0 and by a transverse border region 11 between the cushion 12 at the front part of the diaper and a thinner portion 13 which forms the rear part of the diaper. The purpose of this distribution is that the cushion 12 shall absorb practically all liquid so that the rear part 13 of the diaper normally will be dry which is an important sanitary advantage.

A further advantage of the cushion 12 consists in that the liquid has to pass a very short distance only which in turn means that the absorption material can be of a less expensive quality. Alternately, it is possible to [have an absorption mass of higher quality in the thinner portion 13 of the diaper and to have this mass of substantially constant thickness extending into the cushion 12 between the chain-dotted line 14 and the outer layer 1. The remaining, hatched portion of the cushion may be filled with another absorption mass which may be of less expensive quality.

In order completely or partly to prevent flow of liquid from the cushion 12 to the thinner portion 13, it is necessary to provide a blocking means or barrier for the liquid in the border region 11. The location of this barrier may vary according as the diaper is to be used by boys or girls. By way of example such barrier may be formed by compressing the absorption mass in the border region, as indicated at 11 in FIG. 2. As an alternative a hydrophobating agent, such as paraffin emulsion, may be inserted in the border region to reduce capillarity action. Further, it is possible to provide in the border region an agent which increases the viscosity of the liquid arriving at the border region, e. g. such agent may be a water soluble cellulose ether or an alginate.

What I claim is:

I. A diaper of oblong configuration comprising an outer layer of a nonwoven fibrous material with the fibers oriented longitudinally of the diaper, a further outer layer of a material of high wet strength, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer layers and forming fore and rear absorption portions separated by a border region, one of said portions being thicker than another thereof to form an absorption cushion, and said border region being constructed as a barrier for liquid tending to pass in the absorption material from one of said portions to the other, said barrier being formed by a strip of compressed absorption material extending continuously from one longitudinal edge of the diaper to the other.

2. A diaper for insertion in baby pants, comprising outer layers, and an intermediate layer, the latter layer being sandwiched between theouter layers and forming a thick fore portion of absorption material and a thin rear portion of absorption material, a barrier preventing flow of liquid from said front portion to said rear portion being formed by a hydrophobating agent inserted in the border region between said front and rear portions.

3. A diaper for insertion in baby pants, comprising outer layers, and an intermediate layer, the latter layer being sandwiched between the other layers and forming a thick fore portion of absorption material and a thin rear portion of absorption material, a barrier preventing flow of liquid from said front portion to said rear portion being formed by an agent capable of increasing the viscosity of the absorbed liquid inserted in the border region between said front and rear portions. 

1. A diaper of oblong configuration comprising an outer layer of a nonwoven fibrous material with the fibers oriented longitudinally of the diaper, a further outer layer of a material of high wet strength, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer layers and forming fore and rear absorption portions separated by a border region, one of said portions being thicker than another thereof to form an absorption cushion, and said border region being constructed as a barrier for liquid tending to pass in the absorption material from one of said portions to the other, said barrier being formed by a strip of compressed absorption material extending continuously from one longitudinal edge of the diaper to the other.
 2. A diaper for insertion in baby pants, comprising outer layers, and an intermediate layer, the latter layer being sandwiched between the outer layers and forming a thick fore portion of absorption material and a thin rear portion of absorption material, a barrier preventing flow of liquid from said front portion to said rear portion being formed by a hydrophobating agent inserted in the border region between said front and rear portions.
 3. A diaper for insertion in baby pants, comprising outer layers, and an intermediate layer, the latter layer being sandwiched between the other layers and forminG a thick fore portion of absorption material and a thin rear portion of absorption material, a barrier preventing flow of liquid from said front portion to said rear portion being formed by an agent capable of increasing the viscosity of the absorbed liquid inserted in the border region between said front and rear portions. 